Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-29
A PLAIN STATEMENT OF THE WHOLE
CASE

The San Francisco Chronicle saws: "If
the fact existed that pupils had to pay
two or three prices for textbooks it was a
queer sort of public economy to remedy
that evil by imposing upon the State
system by which the pupils will have to
pay four prices for textbooks, or have a
deficiency supplied by general taxation"
The first fact did exist, the second, alleged,
does not and cannot The Chronicle in its
zeal for the book rings is getting itself into
corner. We challenge it to publish
side by side, if it dare, the prices charged
parents for State school books, and the
prices formerly paid for the books the new
system supplants.
II dare not do this. Its fight is dog
matte one. 1t simply and mendaciousIy
asserts that the State school books cost
parents greatly more by direct purchaser
general taxation, than similar books pub
lished by private concerns. If it can
prove this it makes its case It will not
do for it to avoid this issue; the challenge
is Enthusiastically plain and clear-let it, if
it dare, publish the list of prices for
spoilers, readers and arithmetics under the
old and the new systems side by side.
1t will reply that that will prove moth
ing, because there is a deficiency in the
book fund which the next Legislature will
be called upon to make good, which
means tax upon the people, and this,
added to the price asked for the books by
the State, will give the result it claims
To this We answer, that even If there is
a deficiency, or if it had extended to the
absorption of ten times the amount shown,
II is due wholly to the act of the State
Printer in diverting money from the book
fund to the printing Office fund. No pos
sible distortion of facts can comfort this
truth into any fault of the school book
system. Common, ordinary school. boy
bookkeeping intelligence will see that this
being the case, the printing Office fund has
been benefited out of the school book
fund, has been saved that much of out
put-and the latter is therefore entitled to
credit for doing general State printing
work to Just the amount of the deficiency.
and hence no additional taxation is pos
sible for school book work.
This restores the disturbed equilibrium
as any one can see. Let it therefore be
kept in view that there has not been any
deficiency because of the cost of producing
the school-books but that the shortage in
the fund, and which is not related to any
thing except official incompetency. is
wholly due to the diversion of school book
funds to pay for the doing of other State
printing. Whatever the State has thereby
saved to its general printing fund, it owes
to the school-book fund, and the cost of
the books is not and cannot be affected.
But all the books save the history
aud geography are printed; the COM
position is done and out of the wav.
and permanent plates are in use. Now
suppose that the sum diverted from
the fund causes q shortage, what kind
OF delinquency is it2 Clearly, we re-
peat, not one that can possibly affect the
cost of producing any one of the volumes.
but such as only limits, to the exteat of
that sum, the gross number of books that
may be issued in given period. To lust
that extent the State Printers act NAV
possibly operate, but it cannot affect the
price, as we have said, of single volume.
nor do we believe it will prevent the State
supplying the people with all the books
needed until the Encouragement of the in
competent Superintendent of Printing can
be remcdied. For, fortunately. as the
books are supplied to the people the
money paid for them comes back. and TINS
creates revolving fund" which is to be
used for printing other supplies from the
plates owned by the State. Thus il is
simply impossible for the people to be
charged by from 90 to IS per cent. as much
Tor school books as under the old system.
And this means, all summed up, that when
the Chronicle says the books cost the peo-
pie more than they can buy them for from
private publishers, it misstates facts. and
ior purpose. The ayidity with which II
selzes upon malfeasance on the part of Off
ciais IN charge Of system, to assail the
system Itself, discloses the hoof it vainly
amaglnes Is concealed beneath It's mantle
OF assumed concern for State and people.